Crash
by NoraLiese
Summary: The train. The picture. The crayon. The love. Lily and James, reunited after 8 long years of speration.
1. Default Chapter

"And when the sun comes out tomorrow, let it shine."  
  
Mystery. Love. Romance. Lust. Hate. Anger. Death. Angst. That's what the very core of our existence is made of. We go through life, experiencing so many different emotions, it makes us who we are. It makes your life the way it has come to be. Sometimes, it feels like you're just living a lie, or living in a book, being written by the very creator itself.  
  
If a doubt has ever crossed your mind, that someone was just playing with your mind... and your heart, you were probably correct in everyway. Peoples' emotions are so complex, and intricate, that you never really know when they truly mean it, or mean to embarrass your soul...  
  
And then everything comes falling down, like a Crash of a Wave onto a beach. Everything just disappears, and you don't know who to turn to, or who to turn with. And as fast as your life began, it gets swept away out from under your very feet... to be gone forever... to never be found.  
  
Well, I'll get on with my little speech, and say, "Welcome to the Fairy-Tale Existence of Lily and James."  
  
If at any moment you feel as if you're going to fall off the seat of your comfy computer chair, please hold on tight, because you'll get a bigger dosage of surprises, and cliffies swinging your way!  
  
Crash  
A Nora Production  
  
Chapter One: The Sun Won't Shine  
  
A young girl, about the age of nine sat on the front porch steps, in front of her home on Madrilène Road. Her crimson red locks pulled back into messy, low pigtails, and her worn out shorts, that she had practically lived in all summer where frayed at the ends. The fairy garden, her sister Petunia had insisted upon having in the front yard, was dead, and made the house look not up to perfection.  
  
This young girl's name was Lillian Evans.  
  
And her best friend, James Potter, was away for vacation, and was expected to return that very afternoon. James had been gone a two weeks, which was a very long time for the red-head, for James was her really her only true friend.  
  
And then she saw it. The off-white station wagon, that had hailed away the young boy two weeks earlier, pulled up a driveway across the street.  
  
"Lily!" A young, scrawny, untidy black haired boy rejoiced, hopping out of the backseat.  
  
"Hey, Potter!" The red-head yelled across the cracked blacktop street.  
  
"How've ya been?" James asked as he settled himself next to his friend on her front steps.  
  
"Lonely." She said, resting her pale chin in the palm of her left hand. "How was your vacation?"  
  
"Eh, same old same old. The grandparents are getting older... And I actually spent twenty minutes counting the wrinkles on Grandpa Edward's forehead. But my mom yelled at me when I came up with the conclusion of a hundred fifty six."  
  
Lily smiled, and stood up. "Want a freeze-pop?"  
  
"Yeah!"  
  
Lily led James inside her home, and through the living room, where her exhausted, from looking for new homes, father lay reclined in the green recliner, with his newspaper rested on his stomach, and into the kitchen.  
  
"So, what color do you want, James?" Lily asked, as she hauled a chair from the kitchen table over to the refrigerator.  
  
"Blue."  
  
"All right." She said, climbing on the chair, and opening the freezer door. Her short arm searched for a pink and blue freeze pop.  
  
"Here.." She said handing him his pop. "Courtesy of the Evans' household."  
  
"Thanks." James said, ripping the top off, and sucking on the pop.  
  
"I have to tell you something." Lily said, sitting at the kitchen table.  
  
"Okay. Shoot." He said, sitting across from her.  
  
"I'm moving."  
  
"Aw! Neat! Where?"  
  
"Ireland."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"My grandpa is ill. and, he can't take care of himself anymore.. so we have to move there and help out." She said slowly and sadly. "I'm sorry, James. I wish I didn't have to move.. but I do."  
  
"When are you leaving?" He said, staring at the butcher-block table.  
  
"The nineteenth of October."  
  
"Oh. I-I see." He frowned. "That's in two months and three days. Do you have too?"  
  
"I'm sorry, James.. I really am."  
  
"No. No. don't be. I mean, I knew sooner or later one of us was going to leave.. I just didn't expect it to be you.." He frowned, and rubbed his eyes.  
  
"Oh, come on, Potter! Don't cry." She tilted her head, and stood from the table. "Stay right there. don't move. stay.. right there!"  
  
Lily ran towards the living room, and up the stairs she'd climbed so many times. She ran down the upstairs hall, which was filled with family portraits, and paintings.  
  
"One minute!" She called, as she flung open her bedroom door, and dived for under her bed.  
  
Her arm reached under the bed, grabbing and pushing things.  
  
"Aha!" She muttered, pulling a box out from under the bed. "Found it."  
  
Lily opened the shoebox, and dumped everything out. "There it is!" She said, dropping something into the box, and carrying it down the stairs, and back into the kitchen, were James still sat.  
  
"Welcome back." He said, staring at the box in her hand.  
  
"Oh.. Here." She said, shoving the box towards him. "Take it. I want you to have it."  
  
"I can't.. I don't want too."  
  
"Take it, James." She said, as he pulled the box out of her hand.  
  
James pulled the lid off of the box, and smiled. "It's the crayon I traded you for your nickel."  
  
"You'll always think of me when you use that crayon." She grinned, and sat back at the table.  
  
"I don't have anything to give you just yet." He frowned, and fingered the strings on his shorts. "But I will."  
  
---- Two Months, And Three Days Later ----  
  
Lily, her parents, and her dreadfully ugly sister stood outside the train that'd soon take them to Ireland. Lily held her teddy-bear, Mr. Roosevelt, under her left arm. She frowned, as a train leaving the station, caused a light breeze, making her hair flow over her eyes, and face.  
  
"Do I have to go?" She asked her father, tugging at his shirt. "Can't I stay here?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Lillian," Her father's deep voice said, sympathetically. "You have to come along with us."  
  
James came running towards the platform, and towards Lily and her family.  
  
"Lils!" He panted, stopping feet in front of Lily, placing both hands on both knees. "Here.." He said, shoving a photograph towards Lily. "'Sa picture of the day we first met. you know. thought if you looked at it, you'd be reminded of me.."  
  
"Promise you'll write." Lily said, ignoring his sayings, taking the picture from him.  
  
"Wha--?"  
  
"Promise me, James. Promise you'll write."  
  
"Promise, promise you'll write back?"  
  
"Promise."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Pinky swear?"  
  
"Pinky swear." He muttered, linking pinkies with Lily. "And I promise to call ever once and a while."  
  
"And I'll call you back." She smiled, and dropped her teddy-bear, and picture, wrapping her arms around his neck, and giving him a long deserved hug. "I'll see you soon."  
  
"Lily, dear, get on the train. it's about to leave."  
  
"Best friends forever?" She said, picking her teddy bear and picture up.  
  
"Forever." His childish smirk played across his young, pale pink lips. "See you."  
  
"Yeah. Bye James. It's been nice knowing you."  
  
"Yeah you too." Lily smiled, and pecked James' cheek. "Remember me."  
  
"I will!"  
  
"Bye.." Lily stepped on the first step of the train, and waved at her friend.  
  
"Bye, Lils!" James called, as the train slowly started to move.  
  
Lily ran fully onto the train, and seconds later could be found peering out of a window.  
  
"I'll see you, 'round, Potter! I promise you I will!"  
  
"Bye!" James yelled.  
  
And soon, the train, carrying James' best friend, was out of sight. 


	2. Chapter One, Part two The Sun Won't Shi...

I thank you all for your reviews. It's been a pleasure to see how you all like 'Crash' as much as you all do. Thank you.  
  
Now, I've read a few fanfics around, that ask you to play a song for a certain part. And I really like that idea. So sometime, later on in the story, I'll probably ask you to do so. And I'll tell you the name of the song, and the person who performs it.  
  
'Cause every scene in a fanfics should have the right atmosphere. ^_~  
  
Thanks!  
  
---3 Nora  
  
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"Lily, wake up." Her mother said, shaking the sleeping silhouette.  
  
"Mmm." Was Lily's response, as she rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. "Five more minutes.." She muttered.  
  
"Now, Lillian Abet Evans." Her mother said, shaking her harder. "You don't want to miss your train to London."  
  
Lily sat up in bed, her frizzy, normally curled locks, plastered around her face. "I thought I was going tomorrow."  
  
"No, tomorrow you'll be leaving for that Hogwarts place." Her mother said, standing from the bed. "Term starts September the first, and if you're late, you'll have it in for you, dear." Ada Evans walked over to the white, painted dresser, pulling a shirt and jeans out.  
  
Lily rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Yeah, yeah." She muttered, stepping out of her bed, and walking over to her window. The view from her window, was, in an utter understatement, the best in the suburb.  
  
"Are your things packed?"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
"Enough clothes to last 'till Christmas?"  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
"Enough undergarments?"  
  
"Yes, mom. Can you. just freeze for a minute? I'd like to cherish my last breaths of the Irish air. I'll only get England air until Christmas."  
  
"Oh, stop your nonsense, Lillian." Ada said, shaking her finger, "Hop in the shower. I'd like to see my daughter's face before she leaves for four and a half months."  
  
Lily, being the stubborn girl she was, rolled her eyes, and walked out of her bedroom.  
  
"Don't forget to clean behind your ears!" Her mother called after her.  
  
Slam. The door to the upstairs bathroom slammed shut, and soon, water shooting from the spigot could be heard all through the upstairs.  
  
Ada Evans, still in Lily's bedroom, gathered clothes out of her daughter's drawers, and placed them on the bed. "Better be safe than sorry." She said to herself, folding the newly placed clothes.  
  
Lily yawned, as she combed her damp, softened red hair, around twenty minutes later. She stared at the blue, tile backwash, as she brushed her teeth, and dried her hair.  
  
Knock, knock. "Come in!" Lily called over the noise of the hair dryer.  
  
"Lily, dear. Do hurry, you can't miss your train."  
  
"Okay." Lily said, yawning again, and squinting her eyes.  
  
Lily walked out of the bathroom only moments later, as she pulled her hair back. She walked into her room, placing her bagged toothpaste and toothbrush in her bag.  
  
Lily shook her head, trying to zip it shut, for all the extra clothes her mother had packed while she was in the bathroom. "Mom!" She yelled, getting frustrated with the zipper, and giving up. "Mom!"  
  
"What, Lily?" Her mother called up the stairs. "I don't need my whole wardrobe!" Lily yelled. "I'll only be gone for four months!"  
  
"Better safe than sorry!"  
  
"I'd rather be sorry than have a frickin' department store in my bag." Lily muttered, pulling a few shirts out.  
  
Finally, after zipping the bag, placing her books in another bag, and pulling on a jacket. Lily was somewhat ready to leave.  
  
She coughed, and glanced around her room. "Good-bye home, hello to being free!" Lily grinned, and picked her bags up.  
  
"Lily, come on! We haven't all day!" Snapped Petunia from down stairs. "Unlike you, some of the people in this house have lives!"  
  
"Don't you ever shut your mouth?" Lily snapped from upstairs.  
  
"Hurry up, Lily! You're such a freak. You're never on time! Hurry up!"  
  
"Oh give it a rest, Petunia." Lily said, taking her sweet time going down the stairs. "You act like I want to stay here. with you." Lily scrunched her nose, and looked Petunia up and down.  
  
Petunia snarled, and slammed the door shut after she and Lily both stepped out of the house.  
  
"Get in the car, Lily. We have to hurry and get to Irish Towers Station." Mrs. Evans said, tucking auburn hair behind her ears. "Edward, are you ready?"  
  
"Almost, sweetheart." He said, packing Lily's belongings in the trunk of the family car.  
  
Edward got into the drivers' seat, and Mrs. Evans into the seat next to him.  
  
"Au revoir l'Irlande, bonjour Londres!" Lily muttered, as they pulled away from their two-story house.  
  
Irish Towers Station was only blocks away from the household. They had arrived there in a matter of minutes.  
  
"This is the second time I've had to leave people I love." Lily said, hugging her mother tight. "I'll write.. and you'll write back?"  
  
"Of course, Lily." Her father said, kissing her forehead. "Well, your mother more than I. But you know."  
  
"I know." She smiled, and looked at Petunia. She held her hand out, and shook her head. "It's not been a pleasure being your sister. But somehow, I survived." She grinned, and patted Petunia on the back. "Bye!"  
  
Lily stepped onto the train and waved to her parents. "See you at Christmas!" She yelled as the train started to move.  
  
"Bye, dear!" Her mother called, waving.  
  
Lily settled herself in a secluded corner, in the last compartment. She tilted her head, and rested it against the window pane. She scratched her nose, and closed her eyes, and drifted easily into a soft, dreamless sleep.  
  
"Miss? Excuse me, Miss?" Someone was prodding Lily gently on the shoulder.  
  
Lily coughed, and peeped open her right eye. "Go away, 'Tunia." Was her response.  
  
"Miss?" The voice said again. The prodding continued.  
  
"I said stop!" Lily snapped, opening both eyes. She looked around the compartment, and jumped back. "Oh, good lord. I'm sorry." She muttered, running her hands through her hair.  
  
"It's not an issue, Miss." The voice said. "What's a lass like yourself doing alone?"  
  
"Oh. I'm coming from Ireland. to London. school. exchange student.. long story, actually."  
  
"I have time to hear it."  
  
Lily smiled, and shook her head, "What's your name?"  
  
"Keith O'Brien." He said, smiling. "And yours?"  
  
"Lily. Lily Evans." Lily smiled, and tucked her hair behind her ears. "So, why the train ride from Ireland?"  
  
"Same as you. school.. but not an exchange student." Keith sat across from Lily, and smiled. "Age?"  
  
"Seventeen, you?"  
  
"Eighteen." He shrugged, "Not so bad of an age difference."  
  
"Not at all." Lily scratched the back of her neck, and sighed. "Sorry for snapping like that."  
  
"Eh, I'm used to my brother's prodding me awake, also." He smiled. "How long have you lived in Ireland?"  
  
"Um, 'bout eight years. And what about yourself?"  
  
"Native.. moved. moved back.moved back to London." He coughed, and yawned.  
  
"So, why were you in Ireland if you live in London?"  
  
"Oh. I was visiting my dad for the summer. My parent's are separated, but you don't need to know that." He grinned, and looked at her.  
  
The train ride was spent talking about family, love, life, death, friends, hobbies, what they planned on doing for the rest of their lives, who they were dating, if they were dating anyone.  
  
The whistle blew, and the train halted to a stop at Kings Cross Station.  
  
"This is my stop," Lily said, grabbing her bags. "I guess. I'll see you around sometime."  
  
"Mine also."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah. Bye, Lily. Nice meeting you."  
  
"You too!" Lily swung one bag over her shoulder, and the other secured in her right hand.  
  
Lily walked off the train in King's Cross Station, heading for the exit. If only she could find it.  
  
"Need some directions?" Keith asked, sneaking up behind her. "Actually, yes." Lily smiled in relief. "First off, where's the door? And second off, have you ever heard of the Leaky Cauldron?"  
  
"I'll walk you out, and I'm headed there myself. If you don't mind, could I hail a taxi with you?"  
  
"It'd be my pleasure." She smiled, and followed him out of the station. 


	3. Welcome To Diagon Alley

Okay, sorry for the wait everyone. Lmao. Just making sure everything was perfect!  
  
----NoraLiese----  
  
---------------------------  
  
"It'd be my pleasure." She smiled, and followed him out of the station.  
  
The taxi cab pulled up in front of a deserted lot. Lily stepped out of the cab, and retrieved her bags from the trunk. Keith tipped, and paid the driver, and grabbed his belongings.  
  
"Are you sure this is the place?" Lily asked questioningly.  
  
"As sure as my names Keith O'Brien, which it is." He smiled, and led her to the door of the pub. "After you." He held the door open, and the old copper bell jingled.  
  
"Mornin' good lady, and lad!" The old, worn out looking bartender greeted them.  
  
"Morning." Lily smiled, and looked at Keith doubtingly.  
  
"Well, I don't know why you're here. so you tell him.."  
  
Lily shrugged, and stepped up to the bar, setting her things down, and looking at the bartender. "Lily Evans. I reserved a room for one night."  
  
"Ah! Right you are, Lady." He said, looking at a torn, speckled with soot notepad. "Room 'leven." He said, "Thomas 'ere will show you."  
  
A boy, not aged over nineteen, grabbed Lily's bags, and headed towards a staircase. Lily glanced back at Keith and smiled, "I'll see you later?"  
  
He nodded, "Count on it."  
  
The room was blank, and a mirror was set on the wall. She was sure this room had many hidden secrets. But why take the time and figure them out when she could be exploring the wondrous world of the Infamous Diagon Alley?  
  
Everyone back in Ireland had heard of Diagon Alley. Clara Stevens had visited it once, and she had come back describing in full detail how marvelous it all was. How the scent from the Ice-Cream Parlor followed you even into the depths of Gringotts Bank.  
  
Lily grinned, and glanced around her room, before closing the door behind her. And if you hadn't figured it out yet, Lillian Abet Evans, native to England, was a witch. A Muggle-Born witch.  
  
Her wand, 7 and a half inches of Maple, with a feather of a phoenix, was magical in every way.  
  
She walked into the Pub, and up to the bartender, who was leaning against the bar, talking with two young guys with dark, messy black hair.  
  
"Excuse me," Lily said, interrupting the conversation. "Sir, could you perhaps tell me how to get into the Alley?"  
  
"She's definitely not a native," one of the two men snickered.  
  
"Eh, leave 'er 'lone, Black." The bartender said, "Tap the bricks. three up and two across, was it?"  
  
"Yeah, Sam." Said the other boy, with the extremely messy black hair, and the glinting brown eyes, with thin-wired frames, said. "Three up and two across above the trash bin. Tap the brick three times, or you'll get nothing. And use your wand, not your finger."  
  
"Thank you," Lily said, smiling. The boy smiled back, Lily could swear on a bible that she knew that smile.  
  
She shook her head, and walked away from them, taking her wand out as she went.  
  
"Three up and two across." She kept muttering to herself.  
  
She tapped the brick, three times, that the instructions said to, and stepped back. Ready for a door, or maybe a narrow passageway to lead her to some dark cavern, or to the top of a hill, or maybe even down beneath the ground. But none of those is what she saw. The brick wall twitched, and wreathed making a grand archway into the wondrous place that was Diagon Alley.  
  
A cobble stone path twisted, and turned until it was out of sight. Lily gasped, as she took her steps that led to the very beginning of the Alley. A glance of her right shoulder, and the archway was gone.  
  
"Get your potion ingredients! Shriveled eye of newt! Two sickles! Get your ingredients!" Called a man from the front of the Apothecary store.  
  
Lily raised her left brow, and continued walking on.  
  
"Look, mum!" A little boy squirmed with excitement outside a Quidditch Shop. "A Comet Two Sixty! Fastest broom there is! Can I have one? Please?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Jerrold, we aren't here to buy brooms." The mother said, "You're father needs new robes."  
  
Lily smiled slightly, and looked all around her. Flourish and Botts. The bookstore. She grinned, and made her way through the crowded street, and up the front steps of the store.  
  
A bell jingled as she walked through the door, and man with, with white gloves on his hands, popped out from behind a bookshelf.  
  
"Welcome!" He said, hurrying over to Lily. "Books! What books do you need? Perhaps a new Transfiguration one? Or maybe a Charms book? Potions? Or how about Divination!"  
  
"Excuse me, Sir." Lily said, politely. "I just need to browse. I already have the books I could possibly need for school. But if I don't, I'll be sure to owl you."  
  
The man frowned, and nodded. "A-alright then." He said, "Just call if you need help." His upper lip twitched with embarrassment as he smiled politely.  
  
"I will." Lily said, walking down a narrow pathway between bookshelves."  
  
The bell jingled again.  
  
"No, Sirius." A boy's voice said.  
  
"Come on, James." The boy, which Lily had supposed his name was Sirius, said.. "Just be like, 'I'm sorry, Marie, but Sirius doesn't feel the need to be in a relationship anymore.'"  
  
"And get slapped for it? Ha, fat chance, bud."  
  
Lily raised her eyebrows, and shook her head. 'Typical', she thought.  
  
"C'mon, James. For me? You're most loyal friend. A friend since first year, come on, please James?"  
  
Lily pulled a book about Manticores out from a shelf, and carried it towards the counter.  
  
"Manticores! Spectacular choice, Miss!" The jittery employee said, grinning broadly. "Three galleons!"  
  
Lily gave him three galleons, and took the bag, that held her newly bought book.  
  
"Sirius, go away." James said, shaking his head, and tossing two copies of every book, holding his rather large, and broom shaped package, as he did so, they needed into Sirius' arms.  
  
James read off the paper, "Transfiguration: Grade Seven." He rolled his eyes, and placed to copies of that book in Sirius' now over-filled arms. "Only Minerva would think of such a plain book."  
  
"James," Sirius gasped.  
  
"Why do we bother with Divination, Sirius? Why don't we just ditch it this year? Completely pointless if you ask me. Sonare is nothing but a wanna-be seer if you ask me."  
  
"James!" Sirius gasped again.  
  
"What?" James snapped.  
  
"Can't. Breathe." He fell over, the books toppling down on top of him.  
  
"You're such a weakling," James shook his head, and began gathering the books.  
  
"I think I'll live.." Sirius muttered, helping himself to his feet.  
  
James shrugged and carried the books over to the counter.  
  
"Give me your money, Padfoot.." He said, holding his hands out.  
  
"Here," Sirius muttered, dropping coins into James' hand.  
  
James paid, and they silently walked out of the store, or rather, Sirius walked silently out of the store as James flapped his mouth away.  
  
"So." Sirius said, in hopes of ending James' never ending talk with himself. "That girl in the pub. with the red hair. Eh."  
  
James shrugged, and glanced over his shoulder, "Yeah, she was pretty, I suppose."  
  
"You suppose? Have you lost what you had of a brain?" Sirius said, swinging his bag, nearly hitting a woman carrying her infant son.  
  
"Watch it!" She yelled, as she quickly hurried away from Sirius.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Sirius shook his head, and looked at James. "Is this about Blair breaking up with you?"  
  
"I was with her since fifth year, Sirius! Of course it's about Blair breaking up with me!"  
  
Sirius raised his eyebrows as they sat down in front of the Ice-Cream Parlor.  
  
"No need to get so snippy." Sirius said, looking at the waitress. He casually knocked his spoon off the table. "Can you get that for me, Miss?" He asked.  
  
The waitress smiled, and bent over to pick up his spoon, and Sirius, to put it in less provocative words, checked her out. "Thanks," He said as she placed the spoon on the table.  
  
"Anytime." She said, flipping hair out of her eyes, "What can I get for you two?"  
  
"Two small chocolate sundae's please." Sirius said, smiling.  
  
"Okay.." She smiled, and wrote down their order. She gave one last look at Sirius before walking away.  
  
James rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "You need to get some anti- raunchy pills, Black."  
  
"Nah," He said, grinning smugly, "I need to get something else."  
  
"Please don't share."  
  
"It's not like you and Blair haven't---"  
  
"Shut up, Padfoot." James seethed, his mouth almost shut. "Can Blair just be left out of a conversation for once?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
James rolled his eyes, and lent back in the chair. "I've never seen that red-head around at Hogwarts. whatcha think? New student? Transfer? Her father's an auror,(A/N: sorry if I didn't spell it right. But you all know what I mean.) Come to help with this Voldy-mort person?"  
  
"She could be just visiting family. Aha! That's what I can do! She'll be visiting, I'll get a good snog, and then I can be history with her!"  
  
James shook his head, and watched their waitress come back. She placed their ice creams on the table, and gave Sirius a new spoon, with a napkin wrapped around it.  
  
Sirius waggled his eyebrows, and turned his head to see the waitress walking away, taking a glance over her shoulder. She smiled, and continued walking.  
  
"She so wants me."  
  
"You think everyone wants you."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Sirius unwrapped the napkin from his spoon, and un-creased it the best he could.  
  
Give me an owl sometime. I'd love to get together with you,  
  
---D'Alene  
  
"Ha, she wants to get together with me!" Sirius said, snickering. He showed James the napkin and grinned.  
  
"Da-Leen?" James said raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Who cares? She was. ahem. you know."  
  
James rolled his eyes finishing his ice cream.  
  
"But, she wasn't as good looking as that red-head."  
  
"Won't you just leave Blair, and that girl out of our conversations?"  
  
"Fine. But tomorrow, on the train, we're talking about them."  
  
"No, we're not."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm Headboy." James scrunched his nose up, so even the wrinkles on his forehead had wrinkles.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I got Headboy." James said slowly, shaking his head. "You think I could resign?"  
  
"And give Snivellus the pleasure of being Head?! I don't think so, buster!"  
  
"Nah, isn't their understudies this year?"  
  
Sirius shrugged, "Look who you're asking before you ask." 


	4. Hogwarts Fun and a Dying Sun

So sorry it took so long to post this. I've been busy, and grounded. Enjoy!  
  
^_^  
  
--------*--------  
  
Lily walked back threw the archway, and into the pub. She smiled at Sam, the bartender, and at Keith, who was sitting with two wizards that had been watching her exchange words with Sam.  
  
"Hello," she said, walking up to them.  
  
"Hey, Lily." Keith said. "This is Remus, and this is Peter." He smiled, "Would you like to sit down?"  
  
"Sure." Lily pulled a chair over from a vacant table, and sat down in between Keith and Remus.  
  
"So were are you from, Lily?" Remus asked, "I've never seen you at Hogwarts before."  
  
"England. but I moved back when I was nine."  
  
"To where?"  
  
"Ireland."  
  
Remus looked at Peter, who just shrugged. "Why to Ireland?"  
  
Lily looked thoughtful for a minute. "My grandfather was ill. but two weeks after we moved there. he passed on. And I wanted to come back to England. but my father's job was so much better there than it was here. and he didn't want to go. so I was stuck in Ireland."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry." Peter said.  
  
"Why? You didn't know him."  
  
Peter bit his lower lip, and leant back in his chair. "Sorry.." He muttered.  
  
"Well, hate to leave you, Lily." Keith started standing from the table, "But we have to go off and find Sirius and James."  
  
Lily smiled slightly and stood, "Yeah.. I should make sure I have everything."  
  
"Bye, nice meeting you Lily." Remus took her hand and kissed it gently, "In hopes we meet again. very soon."  
  
Lily grinned, "Bye."  
  
Lily walked up the stairs, and down the hall. She unlocked number eleven, and stepped inside.  
  
"James!" Remus called, and James turned his head. "Hey."  
  
"Hey." James smiled, and looked over at Sirius who was taking his time with eating.  
  
"We met this girl in the pub," Peter started, sitting in an empty seat.  
  
"Oh?" Sirius said, still shoving his face with ice cream.  
  
"Her name was Lily." Peter continued.  
  
"Really.." Sirius said, still uninterested, James, however, watched and listened to Peter very carefully.  
  
"She was pretty."  
  
"Very pretty?" Sirius asked, his attention to his ice cream faltered, and he listened to Peter.  
  
"Really, really pretty." Peter grinned.  
  
"Oh.." James said, running his hands threw his hair, and yawning. "What'd she look like?"  
  
"Really pretty. Like, drop dead gorgeous pretty.."  
  
"Cool.." James said, scratching his cheek. "Has anyone heard from Blair over the summer?"  
  
"Give it a rest, Prongs." Remus commented, "Blair doesn't like you anymore."  
  
"So why bother getting your hopes up?" Keith asked.  
  
James shrugged, "Because I really like her."  
  
"You're probably going to end up liking that Lily girl once you see her." Peter said with a nod.  
  
"I doubt it." He said, glancing at his watch on his wrist. "I've got to go. My parents wanna celebrate tonight for me being Headboy." James glanced at Remus, "Are you my understudy?"  
  
Remus nodded, and grinned. "Let me guess. You'll want me to take care of all the details, right?"  
  
James nodded and grinned, "Will you?"  
  
Remus mocked a salute, "Sir, yes, sir!"  
  
"Good. See you all tomorrow." James stood up, walked towards the brick wall, carrying his bag of books, and a large brown papered package, that looked like a broom.  
  
"Bye!" Keith called after him. He took James' seat and grinned. "That Lily girl is really pretty."  
  
Remus and Peter nodded in agreement.  
  
"So, what's she look like?' Sirius asked, as the waitress, that Sirius had gotten the napkin from, took away his bowl.  
  
"Red hair."  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
"Green eyes."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Pale skin."  
  
"And.?"  
  
"She's 'bout Roslyn's height."  
  
"Who's my height?" Roslyn Harris asked, walking up behind Keith's seat, and wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"This girl." Keith answered, placing his hands on Roslyn's.  
  
"Is she pretty?" She asked.  
  
Keith looked at Remus, who gave the knowing look. "Yeah. But not as pretty as you, Ros." Remus winked in her direction, and smiled.  
  
"Stop sucking up, Rem." Roslyn said, "Dru isn't going to go out with you."  
  
"And why's that?"  
  
Roslyn shrugged, "She's not allowed to date until we graduate..."  
  
"She dated Sirius in fifth year." Remus pointed to Sirius who nodded.  
  
"But that was before she was banned from dating."  
  
"Why was she banned?"  
  
"Because Sirius brought her home a little bit to late one night."  
  
"Five in the morning is not late! It's early!"  
  
"Keep thinking that, Padfoot." Peter said, intrigued to join the conversation.  
  
Roslyn smiled, and kissed Keith's cheek. "Don't have to much fun with the new girl." She grinned, said bye to them all and walked off to join Dru, and Blair.  
  
Sirius crossed his arms and looked from Remus, to Keith, to Peter. "Are we for sure she's going to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Pretty sure. I was on the train with her that was bringing her from Ireland. she said she was an exchange student.. I didn't give it much thought. But then I started thinking about how Davie Nichols last year said she was going to Ireland for her last year for a student exchange program. and that someone from Ireland would be going to Hogwarts." He trailed off, and then leant back in his chair. "Then she asked if she knew where the Leaky Cauldron was, and I knew it was the exchange student."  
  
Lily walked down the stairs one last time that night. "Sam," she said, approaching the bar, "Can you make sure I'm up by ten tomorrow? I don't want to miss my train."  
  
"Sure thing, ma'am." Sam said, cleaning a cup.  
  
Lily smiled, thanked him, and walked back up the spiral staircase.  
  
Knock. Knock, knock. Knock. Lily peeped open an eye, and then the other soon followed. Morning already? Lily delicately lifted herself out of the off white cotton sheets, and walked over to the door, and knocked twice. Knock, knock. Lily grinned, and opened the door.  
  
"Hey, Sa--.." Lily stopped mid-sentence, and stared up at the boy who stood before her. "You're not Sam." She said, inching the door shut a bit.  
  
"No, I'm not," The boy said, running a square hand through his outrageously messy black hair. "I'm James. But Sam did send me up here to wake thy lady."  
  
Lily smiled slightly. "I'm awake now. Thank you." She went to close the door, but James slid his foot in-between the door, and the doorframe.  
  
"I've also been given the duties of getting you to Kings' Cross Station." He smiled, and that smile made Lily's knees twinge with the idea of giving way. "My mum'll be here at 10:30."  
  
"Thanks." Lily shut the door, and pressed her back against it. James. Untidy black hair. Outrageously gorgeous glinting mocha brown eyes. Moreover, that smile that made Lily weak in the knees.  
  
Lily walked over to her luggage and searched through it. She pulled clothes she would wear for that day out, and then smiled slightly. She had her robes back in Ireland, where she had had them specially made by Madame Grokins, the robe maker for the magical humans. She would change into her robes on the train ride there, mimicking the other students, if they did change then.  
  
Lily would make a good effort to fit in.  
  
Pulling jeans, a t-shirt, and socks and shoes on, Lily made her way to the bathroom off the small inn room. She combed the mess that was her long, red, locks, and glanced into the mirror.  
  
"Perfect, dear," The mirror said. Lily smiled, and walked out of the room, carrying her comb along with her.  
  
Lily dragged her carpetbag down the stairs, and sat it on an empty table. She glanced around the empty pub, and sat down. James and another boy, she assumed was a friend, sat at the bar conversing. Sam and Tom mopped the floors on the other side of the bar. In all the places Lily had ever been, this must have been the most unusual.  
  
"Morning, lass." Sam said, looking up from the glossy wet floor.  
  
"Morning," Lily smiled, and watched him.  
  
The belled jingled and in walked Remus. He smiled at Lily and sat down across from her, leaving a wooden trunk by the door.  
  
"Have a nice sleep?" He asked pulling her bag off the table, and setting it on a dry spot on the floor.  
  
"Yes." Lily answered, smiling at him.  
  
"Hey!" James said, glancing over at Lily and Remus.  
  
Remus' eyes followed the sound of the voice, and his smiled. "Hey James, Sirius." He nodded.  
  
James and Sirius stood from the bar, and walked over to the other two. Sirius sat next to Lily and faked a yawn draping his arm over her shoulder. James just shook his head, and locked eye contact with Lily. She smiled, and scratched her forehead.  
  
"You haven't known Lily more than a minute, and you're already hitting on her, Black?" Remus said, shaking his dirty brown hair out of his eyes.  
  
"A growing man has his needs." Sirius defended.  
  
Lily placed her hand gently on Sirius' and removed his arm, and hand, off from around her shoulders.  
  
"I'd much rather get to know you all first." She said, glancing at James.  
  
James smiled, and Lily felt her knees twinge with bitter excitement. "She told you, Sirius." He said, patting his friend's arm sympathetically.  
  
"Eh." Was Sirius' reply, as he dug through his pocket.  
  
The copper bell jingled again and Lily shot a look at the door, as a mid height, granite black haired, woman stepped into the pub.  
  
"James, Black, Lupin, and ." She broke off looking at Lily. "And you must be. the girl I was informed I was bringing to the station. Eh, well, it's not any trouble.. Grab your bag, dear, come on, we mustn't dilly-dally. Train leaves at exactly eleven o' clock. C'mon, dear, no need to be scared. James doesn't bite."  
  
Lily adjusted her bags, and walked out after Sirius, who took her bags and placed them in the trunk of car.  
  
"Lucky you don't have to drag a trunk around, love," he said winking his left eye.  
  
Lily smiled, and stood awkwardly in the street. She didn't know these people, and quite frankly, how was she to know that these people weren't all in the midst of some evil scheme to kidnap her and do only god knows what to her?  
  
"Come on then!" The lady said, clapping her hands, "In the car! I haven't all day. James get in the passengers seat, Remus and Black in the back along with the girl. Come on!"  
  
The three of them climbed into the back. Lily sat still in the middle with Remus on her right, and Sirius on her left. She managed weak smile at James who looked back at her. 'Thank you' she mouthed to him.  
  
He nodded, as the lady, who Lily assumed was James' mother, drove off away from the pub.  
  
The arrived at the infamous Kings' Cross Station in a matter of minutes. Lily grabbed her bags, and headed off in the direction of the door. The three boys, and the lady followed her, all talking in low voices.  
  
Lily, who was have focused on making it to the train, and half listening to bits and pieces of the conversation looked frustrated. She hadn't suspected she'd be driven to the Mental Asylum from just listening to Sirius and his tales of how he got women.  
  
Sirius nodded his head at a red-haired lady, who clucked un-approvingly, between platforms nine and ten.  
  
"Hey, Molly." Sirius said, casually draping his arm over her shoulder as he did to Lily. "Haven't we met someplace before?"  
  
"Yes, and that's exactly why I don't go there anymore." Molly said, moving away from Sirius and embracing a girl with auburn brown looking hair, with brown eyes.  
  
"Bye, Molls!" The girl said.  
  
"Bye, Riley!" Molly said, wiping her eyes. "Oh. four months until your back home with me and mum!"  
  
"Bye." She smiled, and ran at the brick barrier that separated ten and nine.  
  
Lily felt her lungs dry of air, and she sucked in her breath. "Did she.. Just. did she just go.. Where. what happened? Where'd she go?" Lily stammered at Remus.  
  
"Platform 9¾." Remus said simply. "I'll go with you. Come on, run with me at the barrier." Lily looked at Remus, "One. two. three. run!"  
  
Lily and Remus sped off towards the barrier, and Lily closed her eyes, and clutched her bags firmly in her hands.  
  
"Open your eyes, Lily." Remus whispered.  
  
Lily's eyes fluttered opened and she gasped. A scarlet steam engine sputtered steam, and crowds of families, friends, and students crowded on the magical platform. A younger looking boy chased around a blonde haired maiden as she giggled joyfully, trying to get away.  
  
Lily smiled, and secured her bags. "It's marvelous." She said, as Remus started walking off towards the train.  
  
"Come on, Lily. Let's save seats for Sirius, and Peter."  
  
"What about James?"  
  
"He's Headboy. He won't be joining us."  
  
"What's a Headboy?"  
  
"It's when you have top grades in your class." Remus explained, "And James had top grades, and I, and somebody else, had the second highest grades. out of the boys' rank. and then the Headgirl, which everyone believes to be Riley Bennett, has the highest grades out of the girls rank.. And two girls'll be her understudies. See, me, and some other guy, are going to be understudies to James."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Remus took Lily's bags, and placed them on his trunk. Remus led Lily down a long, red-carpeted corridor, with numbers next to sliding door such as, 'Compartment 3-A' or something like that.  
  
"Lily, meet Roslyn, Dru, Blair and Riley. Everyone meet Lily." Remus said, pulling his trunk, and Lily's bags into a compartment.  
  
"You must be the Lily Keith was talking about," Roslyn said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be me."  
  
She smiled. "Welcome to. our magical wonderland."  
  
Blair and Riley laughed.  
  
Lily sat down by the door, and looked at Remus.  
  
"I'd stay," he said, catching on. "But you all should get to know each other.Bye!"  
  
Lily watched him leave, and she looked at the rest of the girls, smiling faintly.  
  
"So, Lily, where are you from?" Dru asked, brushing her hair.  
  
"Ireland."  
  
"What's it like there?" Roslyn asked, muffling a yawn. She smiled, and leaned her head on Blair's shoulder.  
  
"I don't know.. fun I suppose.." Lily thought a moment, "The guys are rather good looking."  
  
"Ooh." Blair said, grinning.. "Better looking than James?'  
  
"James.?" Lily rummaged through her bag looking for something.  
  
"A guy we know that goes to Hogwarts." Blair informed her, "My ex."  
  
"Oh." Lily said. 


End file.
